Air-pressure gauge



Feb. 24. 1925.

. 1,527,436 R. P. oxLEY AIR PRESSURE GAUGE Filed July 19, 1923 u 1 I l r l a 1 l n Patented Feb. i4, 1925.

UNITED sTATEs 1,. ,2 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT r. oxLEY, or sAmsisUnY, NORTH CAROLINA, Assrenon or omi-HALF 'ro WILLIAM n. FIFER, or sALisBUnY, NORTH CAROLINA,

AIR-PRESSURE GAUGE.

Application led July 19,

To all 'whom it may concern: l

Be it known thatI, ROBERT P. Oxnar, a-` citizen of the United States,l rresiding at Salisbury, in the county of Rowan and'State of. North Carolina, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Pressure Gauges, of which the following is a specication.

The present invention relates'to air presf sure gauges especially adapted for use on pneumatic vehicle tires.

An object of the invention is to provide means of theabove mentioned-type which is responsive to the air pressure in the tire and is attached to the wheel to indicate at all times the amount of air in the tire.

.L further object of the invention yis to provide an exceedingly simple device of this character which may be quickly and' conveniently engaged with the felly of the wheel and in no way retards inflation of the tire in the usual manner yet permits unrestrictediniiux of air into the air gauge chamber to instantly and positively operate the gauge. A l,

@ther objects of thev invention will be apparent from the following description of the present preferred form of the invention talren in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein z- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a gauge constructed inV accordance with this invention illustrating its application;

lflig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional vieWfo the gauge;

3 is an elevational view, partly in section, oit a slightly modified form of the intention;

Fig. i 'm a horizontal sectional view of the gauge taken on the line 4.-4 of Fig.. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings in order to illustrate the application of this invention a portion of a Wheel telly 5 is shown which has a portion of a tire 6 mounted thereon. The tire is equipped with a tapering screw-threaded nippie 7 which may form a part of the tire or be attached to the standard type of valve stem now commonly used on pneumatic tires.. The nipple 7 radiates outwardly beyoud the inner periphery of the telly ot the wheel.

The `air pressure indicating means or 192s. serial No. 652,572.

gauge is generally designated `8 and consists of a housing which in the presentinstance 1s shown to be of acylindrical configuration ,embodyingan inner part 9 andan outer part- 10. The inner part 9 is provided with a central bore .11 one endl of which issues lnto a tapering screwthreaded portion 12 which complements and is adapted for engagement with the threaded nipple 7 of the tire. The outer end of the bore 11 issues intoa screwthreaded recess 13 the diameter of which is in excess .of the diameter of the bore and is adapted for engagement-with 'an inner reduced screwthreaded terminal 14 on the outer part 10 of the housing 8. The outer part l() comprisesa .solid body in which a central recess 15 is formed the diameter of which corresponds to the`diameter of the bore. The outer end ofthe recess 15 communicates with a recess 16 which latter is eccentrically disposed so as to lie parallel with the longitudinal axis of the 'parts 9 and 10.

A diaphragm 16 is clamped between the parts 9 and 10 and is preferably formed of rubber although any other material may be used if desired. The diameter of the diaphragm is in excess of the diameter of the bore 11 and fits in a corresponding recess formed in said bore and is clamped from displacement by a ring 17. The diaphragm is adapted to he undulated by the pressure of air contained Within the tire 6 as more fully hereinafter described.

The pressure responsive means which is actuated by the undulations 'of the diaphragm, to indicatethe air pressure7 con-v sists especially of a cylindrical head 18 the inner end '19 of which is of substantially semi-spherical configuration and impinges the diaphragm 16. The outer end of the head has a rod 2O concentrically mounted thereon which extends into the eccentrically disposed yrecess -6 in the outer member 10 of the gauge. The rod 20 is providedwith annular ribs 21` which are adapted to engage in mesh with a ',cogwheel 22 revolubly mounted Within the `part lO of the gauge. The cogwheel Wheel-22 is mounted upon a shaft 22 which carries a dial f hand 23 so that rotation of the cogwheel 22 imparts a corresponding rotative movement to the dial hand 23. A discal graduated plate 24 is countersunk in the part 10 of the gauge which graduations may be numeraled so as spoke wheels are provided 'a to indicate the amount of air ressure contained within the tire 6 de en ng upon the position of the dial han with respect to the graduations.

In order to normally hold the head 18 in engagement with the diaphragm 16 a sprinr 25 is provided one end of which is engaged with the bottom of the recess 15 and the other end enga ed with the inner face of the head 18. he spring 25 is convoluted around the rod 20 and is held from: lateral displacement by a sleeve 26.

Where the gauge is used with disk wheels a right angled air hose engaging tube is rovlded such as indicated at 27 and lshown 1n Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Where er endicular air hose en agintube is provide as shown in Fig. 3. n eac instance, the usual standard type of valved air hose engaging tube is provided the inlet end of which must have its outlet within the plane of the'diaphragmv 16. In the form of invention shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2, it is apparent thatthe tube 27 communicates directly with the part 9 between the diaphragm 16 and the threaded end 12. In the form of invention as shown in Fig. 3 the tube 28 communicates with an air duct 29 which latter extends inwardly through.

the arts 9 and 10 and communicates with the ore 1l between the diaphragm 9 and screwthreaded end 12.

By making the nipple 7 of ta eriugconguration and correspondingly orining the threads l2 on the tire gauge it is possible to use the tire gau e with dierent sizes of tires if desired. oreover, the gauge may be en aged with the wheel felly and tire with acility. y

In operation after the tire range has been engaged with the wheel fely and tire in the manner above described the air hose may be engaged with either the tube 27 or the tube 28 as the case may be and the air permitted to pass unobstructedly into the bore 11 and through the nipple 7 into the tire. The back pressure of air from the tire will impinge the diaphragm 16 in an apparent manner so as to'flex the latter and exert pressure upon the head 18 thereby moving the rod 20 outwardly in the recess 16 to cause the cogwheel 22 to be rotated with apparent results.

The parts of the device are simple and may be replaced at a very low cost and with facility; The diaphragm may be quickly replaced by disengaging the parts 9 and 10 which likewise permits removal of the dial hand operating mechanism with the exception of the cogwheel 22 and shaft 22.

These, however, are readily accessible by simply removing the dial face 24. It is, of course, to be understood that various changes may be made in this device espccially in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts within the scope of the claim hereto appended.

An air pressure gauge for pneumatic tires including a two-part housing one of which parts is connected to and in communication with the tire and provided with a screwthreaded recess, the other part of said housing being equipped with a screwthreaded extension, a diaphragm mounted in the recess of the first said housing part and clamped from displacement by the screwthreaded extension of the'second mentioned housing!` part, air pressure responsive means constantly in contact with said diaphragm to be moved by the undulations of the latter but being unconnected thereto, and a dial operatively connected to said means and movable in correspondence with the latter.

In testimony whereof I aix m seal.

ROBERT P. O LEY. 

